The pacifist from Hiroshima rebuilding Japan’s defences
Doubling down on a security agenda that hawkish former leader Shinzo Abe could only dream of, Fumio Kishida is increasing military spending and concentrating on security pacts.
Hiroshima, Japan | In Fumio Kishida’s hometown of Hiroshima, the reminder of the horrors of war are everywhere.
There are no structures in the city’s centre built before 1945, when a US atomic bomb levelled the metropolis and killed 140,000 people. The skeletal ruins of the only building left standing, a domed former industrial hall, has become an eerie monument to the devastating attack on Japan that helped end World War II.
Michael SmithHealth editorMichael Smith is the health editor for The Australian Financial Review. He is based in Sydney. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.smith@afr.com
